A man was found guilty of killing his estranged wife by hitting her with a sledgehammer.
Shaun Sturgess, 54, had admitted to killing his wife, Jacqueline.
But, Chris Cook, the prosecutor for the case, rejected his plea and argued that the charge of either manslaughter or murder should be brought to a jury.
After about three hours of deliberation, the jury found Sturgess guilty of murder.
He did not react as the verdict was read out. His supporters, on the other hand, cried and sobbed after the verdict was read.
The body of Jacqueline was found on the floor of their shared house in April 2020. Her estranged husband was later apprehended at a friend’s home. The prosecution claimed that he hit his wife from behind using a 1.8-kilogram sledgehammer. When asked if he wanted to speak before his sentencing, Sturgess said “no”.
According to Mr. Cook, Sturgess carried out the attack due to his irrational rage. The incident is a grim reminder of the prevalence of domestic violence in Australia. Mr. Cook then read a victim impact statement by the victim’s father, who described his family’s grief over the murder.
The father said he felt like he failed as he could not protect his daughter. Sturgess’ lawyer Chris Wilson asked the court to find his client with remorse if he lived long enough. He noted that his client deeply regretted what he did.
According to Justice Sullivan, Jacqueline had left the family home due to Sturgess’ unpredictable behavior. He noted that she was scared because of his substance abuse, mental health issues, and physical attacks. The judge also said that the couple’s ongoing disputes over child support and divorce might have caused Sturgess to become agitated.
The judge noted that nothing justifies what Sturgess did. He attacked his wife from behind and left her to die on the floor without checking whether she was still alive. During his interview with the police, he confessed to feeling a lot of remorse.
Sturgess was given a life sentence with a mandatory minimum of 20 years without parole. His sentence was reduced to 16 years due to time served. He was previously tried twice for the murder of his wife. One of the trials was aborted in 2023.